## Chapter 972 – The Sea

He explained that since merfolk were different from humans, they might have unique methods of suicide. Therefore, they needed to be checked even more thoroughly than humans.

Okay.
I understood that.

But.

“…”

Our paladins aren’t freaking out.

“Their claims were valid. It was certainly a covert operation. We were tailing them secretly. It’s understandable that they would be suspicious of us and on guard. Therefore, we cannot yet conclude that they were trying to conceal heresy.”
“Oh.”

That’s also true.

Because there’s a perfectly understandable reason, they’re reserving judgment on whether they’re heretics. It’s a rational decision, in the truest sense. So, they really are educated paladins.

Well, we still had to subdue them, though.

Principled.

“Paladin, what if they turn out to be real merfolk? What will you do then?”
“We would have to carry out the execution immediately. As you know, Paladin, we must summarily execute any race hostile to humans that attempts to spread or proselytize their faith.”

I’d heard that story many times.
But we can’t do that.

I should try to persuade them a bit.

“There is no mercy or compassion in this case. We must block the proselytizing of monsters at its source.”
“Still, shouldn’t we interrogate them a bit to extract information? We caught them, after all; immediate execution doesn’t seem worth it.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”

He tilted his head as if he’d heard something strange.

“Execution is the rule as soon as guilt is proven. No other action can be tolerated.”
“No, Paladin. I understand the principle, but shouldn’t we interrogate them to find out other information? That’s the rational thing to do.”
“We cannot violate principles just because it’s rational. If we start thinking that way, we’ll have to judge and execute everything within that word ‘rational.’ That is extremely dangerous.”
“Isn’t it not very dangerous in this case?”
“I think you need to reconsider the meaning of principles, Paladin.”

So, you’re going to kill these guys right away?

This is…

I was experiencing what the Saintess always talked about firsthand. You know, when they were catching heretics in Isvant last time. She said that the paladins had ambushed a procession of the lord’s army transporting captured heretics and killed them.

“…”

I don’t think this is someone who can be persuaded…

“Let’s take care of the work first and then talk.”
“Yes. Sure.”

Let’s do the work first for now.

In that atmosphere, we examined their belongings and checked their mouths.

“Their oral structure seems the same as humans.”

There wasn’t anything particularly wrong. Soon, the priest I had stationed brought sacks and ropes, and we tied up all eight of them, put them in sacks, and slung them over our shoulders.

“Let’s go.”

We headed straight for the carriage I had parked.
I rented a four-horse carriage on purpose, so we should be able to get there quickly.

* * *

We arrived at the prison, and after dismissing the guards, we quickly restrained the bodies of the limp heretics. We would take care of the interrogation ourselves. Let’s just have the guards run errands.

“D-Don’t do this! We are just…!”
“Believers in the Mother Sea Goddess!!”
“That’s right! Arresting us like this! What right do you have!”

We made groups and locked them up separately, but they were all saying similar things. They said they were just believers who worshiped the Sea Goddess.

If that were true, these bastards have a hobby of throwing themselves into the sea en masse at dawn, which doesn’t make sense.

These bastards are merfolk.

“I told you we have the authority. Here, can’t you see properly? A document proving the lord’s order.”

I showed them the document stamped with the lord’s seal.

“Kuh…!”
“Submit to the investigation. If there’s no problem, we’ll release you. Since this is being executed for official business, if you are innocent, you will be fully compensated. Of course, we will interrogate you in a legal manner, so you can rest assured.”

—Thud.

I said that and came out of the door.

“…We need to prove that they are merfolk first. Is there a way?”

Miles, who came out with me, asked.

“Merfolk can only live in seawater. They can survive outside for about a day, but they will lose their lives if they go beyond that.”

For now, I’m thinking of locking them up and only giving them food without seawater.
If they are merfolk, their transformation will eventually be undone.

“So, it seems like we can just lock them up like this for a few days.”
“I understand. We can wait for about a day or two.”

Miles nodded.

“No, it will take longer. My guess is that they transformed into humans, so they probably have more magic or stamina than other merfolk. So, it will take a few more days. We should wait a little longer until their magic runs out.”
“That makes sense. Then I’ll leave the setting of the detention period to you, Paladin.”
“Okay.”

Then, I guess we can dig up their doctrines or something in the meantime… But this is the problem. This paladin is full of thoughts of executing them as soon as a suspicion is discovered.

I can’t forcibly stop that.

This person is just doing things according to the rules, and the paladins aren’t my subordinates. I can borrow the Saintess’s authority, but that’s it. These are manly men who can freely cut off such requests.

“Sir Miles. Are you really going to execute them immediately without interrogation if it turns out that they are merfolk?”

Let’s try to persuade him first.

“…You seem to have regrets about that. Of course, I know what you mean by saying that, Paladin.”

He looked at my face and answered with a serious expression.

“But if we start emphasizing efficiency and rationality in that way and make exceptions, that atmosphere will spread within the Order. Let’s postpone the execution and listen to their testimony. Like this. What will happen if that happens? Ruthlessness will disappear, and compassion will arise.”

The principle of zero tolerance is broken.

The other paladins listened to me appropriately, but well, everyone is different.

“That’s how the Order’s principles change. Compassion for enemies. Understanding. And in the direction of giving exceptions.”
“But.”

As I was about to speak, he held out his palm to stop me.

“Demons will surely take advantage of such gaps and put us in trouble and attack us. To prevent that, we must adhere to the principles.”
“…”

That’s true, but.

“It’s true that it’s inefficient. But this is the driving force that allows our Order to stand tall.”

Acting only with zero tolerance and ruthlessness. This is what the Saintess is worried about, and it is the value that our Pope is pursuing. Certainly, this has advantages and disadvantages. I also acknowledge that.

But damn it.
Can we do things that way?

“What you’re saying, Paladin, is like arguing that we should make a small gap in the shield to secure visibility.”
“…What do you mean?”
“If you make a gap in the shield, you can secure visibility through that gap. At first glance, it seems rational. However, someday, the enemy’s blade or arrow will come in through that gap and injure your body. Surely.”

Miles grabbed my shoulders and continued speaking with a calm, serious face, as if trying to teach me.

“The gap may be small, so there may be no harm right now, but the battle is not fought only once. Someday. At a crucial moment. Demons will aim for that gap and come in.”
“…”
“So, there should be no gaps in the shield.”

No, damn it.

I have nothing to say.

Yes, this is the Brass Sky Society. I’ve been acting in a makeshift way all this time. But even so… my thoughts are different. Of course, our Kadia’s thoughts are also different.

“You don’t seem to understand.”
“Honestly. I understand what you mean by turning back what Sir Miles just said to me.”
“Sometimes there are things that we cannot agree on even if we understand each other.”

That’s right.

As expected, everyone is crazy, but they are people who have received higher education.

“Paladin, please go in first. Thank you for your hard work. And thank you. We wouldn’t have been able to catch them if it weren’t for you.”
“Yes.”
“Since we haven’t received a confession yet, or captured them transforming into merfolk, we will work with the priests to find out about their faith.”

Shall I go back?

“Then, please take care.”

I left the prison.

* * *

Of course, I continued to go to work at the prison after that.

The detained heretics were getting thinner day by day. For now, we are distributing only freshwater and jerky appropriately to prevent them from recovering their stamina and magic, and we are waiting for their transformation to be undone.

It seems that they haven’t said anything about being merfolk. A lot of interrogation content about their faith has also piled up, but for now, there is said to be no problem.

“Sir Miles. Is there no possibility of suicide?”
“I don’t know as of now. They are eating, and they are still not dead, so there may be no means of suicide.”

I am thinking that they might commit suicide. If they don’t commit suicide, wouldn’t I be able to smuggle them out and interrogate them?

“But if they have prepared magical means, this is useless. There are so many types of suicide magic that the undoing method is not very useful in this day and age, and if the merfolk have created their own magic, it will be useless. For now, we have no choice but to watch.”
“Hmm…”
“Don’t worry.”

Then, Miles said with a smile.

“I will make sure that they don’t commit suicide. If they try to commit suicide, my sword will cut off their necks faster.”
“Oh my.”

Damn it, really.
That’s just helping the enemy commit suicide.

Anyway, since I don’t know when the transformation will be undone, I was thinking of an idea to persuade him while going in and out of the prison. I will try my best, but if I can’t persuade him, there’s nothing I can do. It wouldn’t be bad to just kill them all and have the Order advance to the coast.

But I want to do a proper interrogation if possible.

That’s how it was on the fifth day.

—O, Owaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!

As I was standing next to Miles as usual and looking at the interrogation, a bizarre scream was heard from the other room.

What was coming has come.

I immediately kicked off the ground and shouted.

“Sir Miles, please guard them here!”
“Ah… yes!”

As soon as I went out, I burst into the room where the scream was heard.

“Oh my fucking god!!!”

For a moment, I thought this was some kind of surreal space. In the midst of men and women whose lower bodies had turned into fish being restrained, one of the priests who was supervising this place was screaming like crazy, foaming at the mouth and causing a ruckus. It could be said to be the most primitive form of murder breakdancing.

“Kkeooooooo!!!”

It would be better to stop the priest than to be happy that they were proven to be merfolk.

“Crazy bastard! Calm down!!!”
“We must kill those impure beings!!!!!! It has been revealed that they are merfolk!!! Since they even lied, the charge of perjury is also clear…!!! Don’t stop me, Paladin!! There is a limit to what I can endure!!!”
“Shut your fucking mouth. Clean up that foam and talk, please!!!”

—Urrr!!

As I was grabbing the priest and preventing him from moving, the others also came into this room!

“Merfolk!!!”
“It was true that they transformed!!!”
“Death to the heretics—!!!!!”

In an instant, the room was filled with religious people and their shouts. I immediately stood in front of them, trying to stop them from massacring the merfolk, and shouted.

“Wait! Let’s talk! Wait! We need to interrogate them to find out their purpose!!! Let’s execute them after that!!!”
“Evil testimony is not worth listening to!! We just need to kill them!!! Get out of the way, Paladin! There is a limit to what we can endure!!”

Paladin Milden shouted indignantly, and Miles approached me.

“Paladin. I told you. Please get out of there immediately. This is something that should not be done. Isn’t that right?”

He seemed to be speaking with a very calm and serious educator’s expression.

“I thought you understood enough, Paladin… Kkeureureureureureureureureureuk!!!!”

Suddenly, he started having a seizure, turning his eyes in all directions like a chameleon with strabismus, and grabbed my shoulder!!!!

These crazy bastards!!!

Miles, who seemed so rational, is doing this!!! I don’t think I would react so crazy even if an alien popped out of my chest!!!

“Kkeureureureureuryuk!!”
“Kkwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!”
“Oeoeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeok!!!!!”
“Ollolololol!! Orololololol!!!”

In addition, the paladins and priests standing behind him seemed to have broken through the limits of patience and reason and started doing the same things as Miles…! Is this some kind of tradition of that branch church!!!

Is this a person! Huh!!!

I would believe it even if a two-dimensional being suddenly tried to possess them!!!

“Stop talking nonsense and go to your assigned area quickly!! These bastards have transformed!! Who knows what tricks the transformed guys are up to, why are you all here!!! Go quickly! Quickly!!! Wasn’t it a principle to protect the prison unconditionally!!”
“Get out of the way!!”
“Please get out of the way!!!”
“Annihilate the heretics and monsters!!!!”

Captain Barkerel.

I miss you.